


Find You Again

by etherealdaisy



Category: Star Wars
Genre: Intense Romance, Multi, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:42:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealdaisy/pseuds/etherealdaisy
Summary: Set eight months following The Rise of Skywalker.After the fall of the Final Order, Rey finds herself being slowly disconnected from the force... but her luck turns when her deceased lover visits her in hopes that she will help him find his way back to the land of the living.With the help of her friends Finn, Poe, Rose, Chewie, the droids, and some other familiar faces, Rey sets out on a new adventure to bring back the man she loves.
Relationships: Rey and Ben Solo - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

t's been eight months since the fall of the Final Order 

and I still can't sense him...

I had thought that coming to this place, the start of his Heritage, would bring me answers, would draw me closer to him. But I was wrong.

I spend my days still attempting to remedy this skull of a home, lifting all of the sand out took me almost a month. I guess the pain is still too much to bear...The damages to the interior are not completely terrible, the dining room is still all in place, however the intricate artwork on the ceiling is hauntingly faded. I sleep out under the stars, I fastened a bed out of the fur of a bantha that I bought from the Tuskans. 

I find it easier to call out at night with the thousands of stars over my head. My reminiscent feeling of all of the Jedi calling me igniting a spark in my soul that I can reach out to him, but I hear nothing. I hear the same dead cosmic frequency I heard during my training on Ajan Kloss. My connection to the force feels like static, there are moments where I reach out, and a jolt of tension sends me away. There is something blocking me, keeping me from reaching out.. 

I call out to him every night. I assumed that he was taking his time to appear to me out of love, wanting me to begin to heal. But the idea of not being with him... I can't breathe... I'm haunted by a kiss I should have savored. 

"Be with me ...Ben... be with me..." I whisper out into the night sky.  
Nothing...  
Not even Luke or Leia have appeared since my arrival. Perhaps they are conversing with Ben and his grandfather... 

Finn comes by every six or seven rotations to check up on me, he revealed to me his intention of confessing his sensitivity to the force, as wanted me to train him...

I refused.

It was not too shortly after I arrived on Tatooine, the galaxy was just starting to heal as a fire in Finn grew and grew. Finn had a thirst for knowledge that I knew I could not quench. I remember he sat next to me as we watched the twin suns set one night, I could feel the conflict within him whether he wanted to reveal it to me or not. So I did the revealing for him.

"I know you can feel the force Finn."

He turns to face me quickly, a look of surprise, fear, and shock plastered across his face.

"Pfft... what? ME?! Force Sensitive? Come on Rey you know me better than that." he proclaimed.

"You're right" I said " I do know you better than that, which is why it won't happen, I won't train you." I stood up and began to head inside when I felt his hand grab my arm, stopping me.

"Rey, you don't understand. This is something that is in me that I can't control, I get these feelings, these sensations in my soul that I don't even know how to comprehend."

I recall his words still as sharp as a blade, he didn't realize how his words slapped me across the face... How I didn't understand, when I was the only person who truly did. I pulled my arm from his grasp as I turned to face him.

"No YOU don't understand! I am living my life, constantly having my soul split into two directions. My connection to the force... to him... has been shattered since I watched his body dissipate before my eyes! How can I train you, when I myself have so much more to do? More to learn? I couldn't save him. I COULDN'T SAVE HIM!" I confessed as the furious pain rose in me. "I SAVED HIM ONCE BEFORE WHY COULDN'T I DO IT AGAIN?!" My knees gave out beneath me as I sunk to the ground, Finn sinking beside me, holding me up.

"I couldn't save him Finn, Ben Solo saved me and I couldn't do the same for him...  
Why?" I ask.. "Why couldn't I be stronger, why couldn't we both have survived? I don't... I don't understand."

Finn turned so that I was facing him, my face cupped in his hands as if he were to shake me out of a nightmare.  
"Rey.. you did everything you could. You had faith in Ben Solo and that faith is what saved him and you." he sighs as he sits next to me. 

"You know my past, you know where I came from. But it was you who believed in me. You who wanted me to be better. You did the same thing for Ben and it saved him from Kylo like it saved me from myself." he tilts my chin so that I am forced to look at him, even though the pain in my heart wants me not to listen, not to see. 

"Ben Solo died a hero, he gave himself to you so that you could survive and carry on his legacy. Huh, he literally saved your life like you helped to save his." Finn rose to his feet and offered me his hand. "Come on, I've had enough sadness for one night, let's just enjoy the life that Ben fought and died for us to have."

\-----

Finn's ship landed with a loud thud, shaking me out of my thoughts and pulling me outside, his blue and red General's robe makes him look as if he were royalty. The design was all his idea, to intertwine the two colors onto the new galactic seal, the bright red swirling into the calm blue to meet in a royal purple with the emblem encompassing the swirling mixture of the first order and the rebellion. Finn was always so poetic. 

I rushed out of the hut and into his arms, happy to see another face after seven rotations of nobody. "Oh Finn, it's always so good to see you. How are things on Coruscant?" I ask as I pull out of his embrace. 

"Things are great, Poe and I have started working on our Intergalactic Aid Project, and Rose has been actively cleaning up the galaxy with Chewie. Oh! C-3PO and R2 finally started their "I'm More Than A Droid" seminars in the old Jedi Temple, they turned it into a safe haven for droids across the galaxy." BB-8 whirls around in excitement, and beeps at Finn.  
"Yeah buddy, I'll take you there next time I come to visit."

"So what about the First Order ruled systems? How are they handling the merger?" I asked as we began to walk towards the hut.

"They're adjusting, Hux actually has been a huge help, after the rebels found him and helped him escape Exogol, he's been really active in the political side of things, he even was a founding member of the I.A.P." his goofy smile and excitement about his advances in the new galaxy brings a warm smile to my face, reminding me Ben's sacrifice was not for nothing.

"Did you bring the usual?" I ask

"Uh, duh.." he points behind us to a large crate being carried by none other than General Dameron himself. 

"Poe! It is good to see you again old friend." I exclaim as he quickly walks towards us, his matching oversized General's robes causing him to slightly trip as he walks. 

"Calm it Rey it's been less than 12 rotations since I saw you last... "  
His sarcasm quickly lowers my enjoyment of his presence. Until he lets out a soft chuckle.

"I'm kidding, it's good to see you too, and to give you these."

Every time Finn comes to visit, he always brings a crate filled with the same three things. A pension check, A holo-recording from Rose and Chewie, and a case of meals to last me months. But this time around, I could sense there was something else they had come to deliver to me. 

As we arrive inside the hut, we all sit around the table, Poe and Finn together on one side, and myself sitting across from them, almost as if this were a business meeting. With a sigh, I set the crate to the side, and stare at them both as they attempt to hold back a grin. "Why are you both here..."

"Can we not just visit our friend? Can we not just all hang out?" Poe asks with a hint of sarcasm. 

"There's something you're not telling me..." 

"WE FOUND A MAP!" Finn yells abruptly.

I stare at him as I try to process his excitement. "A map? To what? What could you possibly be so-"

"A map to Mortis..." Poe reveals. 

I can feel my hands begin to shake, the electricity of the force pushing my neurons to stand and run into Finn's ship and take off... but I stop... I breathe...

"There is no point... Mortis is a myth, and even if it were true, he's not there."

Finn reaches for my hand from across the table, and I grant it to him. "Rey, I know these past few months have been hard for you, it's been hard for all of us. But this place, this place could give us answers... Not just me, and what I need to know. But you! This place could help you connect to-" 

I snatch my hand away as the tears begin to fill my eyes, my chest grows heavy, and my body grows as cold as it did that day as I watched the love of my life fade from my grasp. I quickly stand and walk out of the room, but stopping at the entryway to the open area of the hut where I stare into the sky each night only to be blinded by the tears. I close my eyes, clench my fists, and hang my head.

"Ben... Ben is gone, he is out of my reach and I need to accept it. I need to mourn and move on. I cannot keep living like this, I... I cannot afford to have hope anymore." I choke on my staggering breaths, and wrap my arms around my body, in an attempt to keep all of my bones in place. 

"You both need to leave.."

"But Rey." Poe says as he rises to his feet. "We just got here, and there's a lot more you need to-." 

"I said LEAVE!" my lungs carry the words out of my mouth with anger, but the sadness causes it to crack upon delivery. With that, my two friends gather themselves, and quietly take off into the sky.

\---------

As I make my way towards my cot, I go over the list in my head of what I think will help me.  
I lay his knitted shirt folded gently in front of me, his clothes are the only thing I have left of him besides my memory. My hand trembles as I place it on top of the memento of a man I once held in my arms, and I close my eyes, and exhale as I kneel before the compass that will lead me home.

"Be with me..."

I draw as much energy from the force as I can before it ultimately pushes me away. I can feel my spirit inside of me, I can feel the energy within me flowing without a cause, it travels through me but stops somewhere..There is a wall, a barrier, it's an open wound that can never be healed. But nevertheless I persist. 

I can feel the ground beneath me slowly crack, the wind pushing my gentle curls out of my face as the anger within me rises. 

"BE WITH ME!" I call out into the void in a fit of rage! My fingers curl as I tightly grasp the shirt in my hands. "BEN... BE WITH ME!"

With that, I feel my body grow weak, and my bones finally cave in as I collapse onto the sandy floor, but just before I do, I feel a presence slowly catch me, and lay me onto the floor. But when my eyes open, I see no one. 

My spirit pushes me to my feet, as I scan my surroundings. "Who is there? Show yourself!" 

I quickly retrieve my lightsaber from under my cot and ignite it as I see a shadow quickly fly up the stairs. "Stop!"

Without hesitation I follow this dark being up the steps and out of the hut, only to see them standing, looking out into the night sky from the small mound that overlooks the old moisture farm. As I lurk towards the shadow, I pick up a rock from the ground beneath me. 'What is this thing?' I wonder. 'Why can't I see it?' My arm winds back, and I throw the rock at the silhouette, only for it to make contact on the back of its head. It wasn't until that moment when the image became clear.

The dark outline of a hand turns to color as it rubs the back of its head, his dark black hair still hangs in their beautiful waves upon his head, but his body is dressed in grey garments.  
He picks up the rock with his hands, slowly turns to face me holding it in his hands.

"Ow..." are the first words I hear him say, as my vision adjusts and I fully see him standing there. Tears swell into my eyes as the realization hits me like a wave.

"Ben..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's Point of View

I knew the moment I held her lifeless body in my arms what I needed to do.

I lived most of my life being haunted by ghosts and demons to only be set free just as I'm needed most. But for her it was different. For her I would do anything.

I just hope she remembers me this way. I hope she remembers me as a man who loves her, who would do anything for her.

Even give up his life for her.

With my hand over her abdomen, I pull as much energy I can from the force. It feels like my body is lined with explosives and as the force travels through me, each one explodes causing a chain reaction through me. The pain is excruciating but for her I will bear it.   
I feel the life force flow from my hand to her body, and with each deep breath, I feel whatever remaining strength I have slowly disappear into my scavenger. I need her alive, I need to see her... I can't live without her.

With my last deep breath, I push the remaining bit of life force out of me, and with a sigh I wait for a reaction. My eyes closed to hide the inevitable fate that I am not strong enough, that I am not as pure as she is to give life to others. It isn't until I feel her cold yet comforting hand take mine that I open my eyes.

Her eyes... they meet mine as she quickly sits up, facing me. I scan every feature of her face, how some of her deep brown locks frame her face, some of her small strands have fallen out upon her forehead, I want to brush them out of the way for her but I know I need to save my energy to keep this moment alive.

She scans my eyes, curiosity and shock are intensely prominent on her face until I notice her eyes come to the realization of who is here before her.

"Ben.." she says with a smile. 

That smile... the smile that saved the galaxy, the smile that I've been desperately wanting to see for all this time, and to know she is smiling because of me?

It makes this all worth it.

My everlasting joy quickly makes itself known, and I allow myself to be seen, a small smile breaks through as I memorize every inch of her skin. Until I catch her eyes meet my lips... and a wave of anxiety crashes through me.

Her hands cup my now healed face as she brings my lips to hers, the remaining energy within me gives me enough strength to pull her closer, I want to feel her with every part of me, 

my lips,

my face,

my hands,

my body.

I just want to be this man, in this spot, here and forever.

She slowly pulls away, and I can feel my body begin to shut down, but the pure radiant happiness I feel, I am content in going out this way. I let out a small chuckle, and I let her see more into the man she believed in for so long. I want her to know how grateful I am for her, how lucky I am to have met her, and in love I am with her.

With that last breath, my body finally gives up on my soul, and I feel myself fall out of her grasp. But what I remember most is the feeling of her hand in mine as I slowly slip away into the force. 

———-

I wake up with a jolt in a place darker than night, as I look around, all I can see is stars and constellations all around me. This place, it's like something I've seen in my dreams, in the dreams where I would see a woman clothed like the river, with flowers in her hair.

"Ben Solo... rise my child." I hear a soothing voice say.

I quickly rise to my feet, and turn to face this visitor in the unknown. But upon making eye contact, I realize it's her, the angel from my dreams, the one who would always hold me through the night, she would never speak, but her presence was always comforting.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" I ask.

"I am Padmé... I am your grandmother." she reveals as she offers me her hand.

"Come, there is someone here who is waiting for you."

I take her hand in mine, as a smile finds its way to my lips. "You're my grandmother, you're the one who was always in my dreams?"

"I watched as you called out to your grandfather to receive no answer. I wanted you to know that you are loved, and that there was someone out there who would answer you, to comfort you, even if I couldn't fully speak to you. I wanted you to have that reassurance." She stops walking, and turns to face me, holding my face in her hands.

"My only grandson... I am so proud of you."

The tears fill my eyes.. this feeling, a feeling I have always been waiting for all of my life. For someone in my family, to have pride when they speak my name.

I pull her into my arms, and she receives me tightly, I can feel her gentle tears land on my shoulder. Everything about my grandmother has been gentle. I wish I had more of her in me when I was alive. If I had known more about her, perhaps I wouldn't have gone down the path I did.

But alas, it's all over now.

——-

She leads me down a pathway that is invisible, but the sides are lined with a white light. I look around to see that there are millions of other pathways just like this one, that all intertwine and meet at a large opening.

"Grandmother... what is this place?" I ask.

"This is the world between worlds, a place where every crucial event in our history stands in portals of memory. This is where those who cannot become one with the force go when they pass on."

"And you shouldn't be here kid.."

At the end of the path, I see him there. My dad.   
I break from my grandmother and run to him with his arms outstretched to me. A memory passes in my mind of a time when I would run this fast to him after he would return home from missions for the New Republic. My small legs now large and carrying me towards him. I wrap him in my arms and squeeze with all my might, as I hear him gasp for air.

"Careful kid, don't kill me twice!" He chuckles as he pulls me tighter.

"Dad... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I didn't want to do it. I didn't I swear. I was so blind, so struck with fear and deceit.." the gentle tears turn to rushing waterfalls from my eyes, as I begin to sob into my fathers shoulder.

"I know.. it wasn't you. It was Palpatine, and Snoke.. I know my kid, and my kid is the one who gave his life to save the girl he loved, and helped save the galaxy from the old demon who tormented our family for years."

"It's true Ben..." my grandmother says as her hand gently rests on my back. "You are more than what you have suffered. You freed not only the Skywalker bloodline from Palpatine, but us too... he didn't just torment your father, your mother, and your grandfather, he had a hand in torturing us all. But you set us free...If anything, you are more the chosen one than your grandfather.... But don't tell him I said that, his ego is very fragile these days."

I chuckle at the thought of anyone in our bloodline having a fragile ego, all of our family members are sharp as knives, strong as the ocean waves on the moons of Endor.

As I process her words, realization hits me... my grandfather, she's spoken with him. I release my father from my tight embrace and turn to face her.

"Why did he never come to me? I called out to him many times but he never responded? Why?"

Her eyes meet the clear floor, as her hand rests on my chest, just over my heart. "Anakin was drowning in his own shame, heartbroken over his failure. He thought if you'd have seen him, you would hate him for failing to destroy Palpatine the first time." A single tear falls from her eye, as she looks up to meet mine.

"Shame, Fear, Regret, it runs deep and powerful through our family... he didn't want it to run through you too. There was already so much of that in your Mother and Uncle."

"I know... I know how they're ashamed of me." I respond, my head hanging.

"No." She says. "Shame, Fear, and Regret in themselves! They made their choices, and they lived with the consequences of their actions till they died. In the end, they tried to right their wrongs through training the Scavenger, but in the end, it was ultimately you and your aid that helped us win."

"Yeah..." my dad interjects. " I never understood why Leia did what she did, but I learned to never question that woman... I just did what I could in the end to help you. I'm just glad that I had some part in helping you finish your story."

With a heavy sigh, I smile down at the two people who have been with me all along. For so long I searched the stars for answers, I should've just looked right in front of me.

————

As we make our way down the path, we stop in front of a large circular portal. Surrounding it were two strands of thread, one red, one blue, as I approached it, the strands began to intertwine, forming a bright purple hue that started to glow.

"This is where we found you Ben... we had just enough time to pull you out before the worst happened."

The black screen slowly faded into the scene of myself and Rey on Exogol, with her holding my hand as I began to fade. I could see the tears in her eyes, her squeezing my hand until I disappear in front of her. The sight of her in pain because of me ignited a fire within my soul. I step forward and slam my hands onto the image in front of me, but something is keeping me back. As I go to step through the portal, a jolt of tension sends me flying backwards. I quickly return to my feet, and make a running start, until my Father catches my arm.

"Son, stop.. you're going to hurt yourself!"

"I have to go back!" I proclaim through the pain within me. "How do I go back? How can I get through?"

Han grabs my shoulders as he tries to bring me back to focus, but my eyes remain fixated on the image of my love suffering at my hand.

"You can't... not here, this moment is already set in stone. Once we pulled you out, we can't put you back in."

I turn my head to meet his eyes. "There has to be a way. I can't leave her like this, she needs me."

He smiles. "I never said there wasn't a way."

The two of them lead me through a winding path, but this time, the path was glowing with that same purple hue the portal was.

"Once we pulled you out, the dyad that is your connection was cracked. The balance became uneven, and the universe remains vulnerable to the ghost of the darkness." My grandmother points towards another portal, this one lined with a blinding purple light, with an ancient force script lining it.

"What does it say? What does it mean?" I ask.

"Basically, it's you're way out kid. It's how you get back to her."

I turn to Han, a gleam of hope glowing in my heart.

"How do I go through?" I ask.

"This portal is tracking her, think of it as a doorway with a window. You can see her and what she's doing, but you can't go through until she unlocks it."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"It means, you have to wait till she finds the strength to call to you, once she does, the door will unlock, and you can go through... but there's a price." My father says.

"A price? What price? Whatever it is I'll pay it ten times over."

"You can not become whole until she herself finds the dagger of Mortis, she needs it to cut the ties between you and this place. But the dagger takes a toll when used. It could kill her."

"It won't... it won't.. I won't let it."

I step towards the portal, with each step the image becomes clear, I see her holding my shirt in her hands.

"Be with me..." she says. I can see the tears streaming down her face, and her pain cuts my soul in two.

"I'm here Rey! I'm right here! Can't you see me? Hear me Rey! I'm here!" I call to her.

"BEN... BE WITH ME!"

I slam my hand against the portal wall, only to fall through.

I quickly catch my balance, I landed right behind her.

It's her, she's here in front of me...   
  


She looks so beautiful. 

I feel the energy slip from her grasp as she starts to fall backwards, I quickly catch her in my hands and gently lay her down.   
Her eyes are closed, and she looks so peaceful. The hands that once held mine lay outstretched on the floor. Her position on the ground makes her look like a being from the beyond... like my grandmother... an angel.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" She yells as she rises to her feet and retrieves her lightsaber.

I look around at my surroundings, and upon realizing where she is, I quickly move up the steps of a place that I only knew in visions. But I move so fast, within an instant, I'm standing on a mound that I can sense has been stood on many times before, and my eyes meet a moonless sky, a sea of stars lighting what I now come to the conclusion is the deserts of Tatooine.

She came to the beginning of my story..

I hear her footsteps as she lurks behind me, she must not sense me yet... Until a hard object connects with the back of my head. I reach to rub the spot where it made contact, and I pick up the object of my sudden pain.

It was a rock... she threw a rock at me.. I don't know why I thought it was so funny. But a goofy grin forms on my lips as I pick it up, and turn to face her. "Ow..."

When our eyes meet, it feels as if fireworks are erupting in the distance, I know now that she can see me, and the sight of me causes her to smile, and weep..

"Ben... BEN!" her feet carry her in a spring towards me as she jumps into my arms. Her love, granting me strength to lift her off the ground, spinning her around as we both smile and laugh.

"What?! How is this possible?" She asks in my embrace.

"I woke up in this place, with my grandmother and my father!" I begin to explain.

"Wait, what?!" She asks through her smile.

"Yes there's this place with all these port-" I am cut off by her lips crashing into mine. This kiss is different than the one she granted me on Exogol, this one was laced with the fires of passion, desire, love. I can feel the heat rising between us both as I pull her tighter to me. This was the moment that I have longed for since our first touch.. that day in the hut on Ach-Too.

But like that day, this moment too had to be broken by the force.

She gently slips out of my grasp, and she lands on her feet.

"What... what happened?" She asks.

"I... I'm not sure... can you still see me?" I ask.

"Yes, I can see you, and I must say... grey suits you well." she says from her grinning lips.

"Well... thank you.... uhm... I still like you're white robes. They remind me of something my mother wore during the first rebellion. It's beautiful."

A warm red tint reveals itself upon her cheeks. "Thank you Ben.." she says.

"Now.. back to this.." she reaches out to take my hand, but it goes right through me.

"Master Skywalker could interact with this world when he visited me on Ach-Too. I threw his saber, and he caught it. If you're one with the force, why can't I feel you?" she asks.

"Its because I'm trapped Rey... and I need you to save me one last time."


	3. Chapter Three

Third Person P.O.V

"Trapped? What do you mean trapped?" Rey asks.

Ben slowly gestures for her to join him at his side, and she takes the steps and meets him on the mound.

"There's a place, out past right and wrong. Where those who can't join the force roam for all eternity. My grandmother is there, my father is there, and it's where I currently am."

Ben goes to take her hands, only for his to go right through hers. The sensation causes him to let out a sigh. "My story is not finished Rey, it's like I told you, we are a dyad in the force.. We-"

"We are one." Rey interjects. "We are one in the force."

"Yes.. exactly." Ben replies, a gentle smile on his face. All he has wanted, all this time, was to be in a moment just like this with her. To see her smile, to see her at peace, to feel her be at ease in his presence. It is true that once upon a time they were enemies, both sworn to different sides of the same coin. But eventually, they found a way to break free and their moment on Ach-To only pushed them closer together.

"Our connection, our combined power can create life." Ben says. " It can bind galaxies, span across all space and time. This isn't something that just happens every day. It's power is something unknown, and if we're not careful, it can be something we can't control." Ben explains.

"Like my feelings for you." Rey finally admits seemingly out of nowhere, as if she was itching to get the words off her tongue. "I know my actions show it, but I... I just needed you to hear it... Ben." she says just above a whisper.

"I truly... deeply... intensely... love you." she says so naturally, " I wanted to tell you the moment I saw you come to my aid on Exogol. But everything got in the way and-"

Ben reaches out to hold her face in his hands, and just for a moment, he can feel her skin against his fingertips. "I know.. Believe me I know." he reassures her.

"When you are a part of a dyad Rey, one half can't really exist without the other, and since you and I share the same life force, I can't become one with the force unless you pass on as well, and there is no way I am letting that happen."

It takes a moment for Rey to process all of this in her mind. The concept of being these cosmic beings is unfamiliar to her. For Ben, he comes from the bloodline of an ancient prophecy, now he is some cosmic deity? It suits him the same way a blue lightsaber does in his hands. But her? The daughter of a family she never knew, created to serve some sick demonic religion? Rey felt out of place in his world of destiny.

"I can sense your unease, what is it?" Ben asks.

"I just... I still find myself wondering my place in all of this. Even after I discovered my lineage, I still feel like I don't know myself."

"Rey, look at me." Ben pleads, and she follows his request. "You say no one knows you. But I do. You are the one who harnessed the power of all the Jedi, the girl from a nowhere planet who single-handedly brought peace to the galaxy while I was knocked unconscious at the bottom of a pit."

"Yes but."

"There are no but's. Rey, it's about time you start to realize the influence all of your actions have had on life as we know it. I know my words can't make you feel something you don't, you have to find the courage to find it yourself. It took me meeting you all those years ago, and going on this journey leading me to here, this moment, to find out who I really am, I just hope I can have some sliver of a piece in your ultimate heroic story."

This, this is the Ben that Rey saw in her vision when they touched hands. The man in front of her was the one she has been waiting for, her equal, her lifeline. Rey would ultimately find herself, and she does so all on her own, but the one thing she always remembers is this moment, and how much his words would mean to her in the future.

\-----

They spend the evening chatting together, like two people who have known each other their whole lives. Ben tells her stories about his father and the adventures they would go on when he was young, and Rey tells him about all of the neat things she found during her time as a scavenger, and some of the new abilities she's learned from the Jedi texts she stole from Luke.

"Did you know, if we really wanted to, we could slow people down? Like, if they're running, you can make them move slower?" Rey asks through a grin.

"Uhm, yes? Have you not done it before? I used to use that on Hux all the time when he would make me mad."

"What?! You're joking!" Rey says with a laugh.

"I'm not! I even used it on Luke once before too, he was showing some of the younglings at the old temple how to open holocrons, and it made him look so hilarious." Ben sits with his legs crossed in front of her. After a few moments of silence, he decides to ask a question that has been burning in his chest.

"Did Luke tell you that I killed the younglings in the temple? I didn't do it you know... I didn't... the Knights of Ren did." he says with his head hung low.

Rey reaches to place a hand on his lap, she knows that their connection is tampered right now, but she needed him to know that she wants to touch him, to reassure him, even though she couldn't physically touch him in this moment. Rey wanted, needed him to know she was there. She can sense how he is still so unease in himself, even though he broke free of his demons, there are still a few more that linger behind him in his mind. Ben Solo, in his mind, is still afraid of Kylo Ren and the choices he made, and that fear inside of him, all he wants is for Rey to see him as Ben Solo, and for that mask to fade into a distant memory of a person they both no longer know.

"He didn't tell me, and even if he did, I wouldn't have believed him, not after the first time he tried to deceive me about your first confrontation. I know Ben Solo, just like how you know me... how you know Rey Skywalker."

His eyes immediately shot up to look into hers, a look of confusion and humor in his eyes, as he begins to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

"What? What's so funny? I thought you'd be flattered that I took your family name?"

Ben raises a hand, while the other grabs at his stomach, lying on the sandy floor, clutching his chest, the fact that out of all the family names she could have chosen she chose that one? To Ben, that was the funniest thing.

"Rey Solo? You didn't think that one would work? Or even just Rey?"

Rey gasps, but hidden behind her shock lies a smile. "Your father still has bounties in 14 different systems. I just got out of a war I don't feel like waging another one Ben Chewbacca Solo."

Ben shoots upright, his mouth agape. "Who told you that was my middle name?"

\-----

They spend the whole evening that way, chatting till Rey grew tired. Ben promised to stay there with her while she slept, besides, he liked watching her sleep. Watching her chest rise and fall with each of her breath's brought him peace. Even though now that he was partially a ghost, he still laid beside her, there were moments where his body would materialize and he could feel her, and it was always in those moments when she would shift closer to him in her sleep. Rey could feel his warmth, and it drew her nearer to him.

\---------

Rey woke up that morning, only to look over her shoulder to find nothing... But she did find something in the midst of her confusion. The scavenger turned Jedi found a flicker of hope that grew into an inferno of determination.

She was going to get him back, and bring him home.

Without a moment's hesitation, she runs to her holocommunicator, and sends a signal to the two General's.

"Finn, Poe, meet me on Jakku, there's something there I need to get before we go to Mortis. I'll see you there."

She ends her signal, and rushes to grab her belongings. BB-8 beeps at her, and is following her right at her heels.

"That's right BB-8, were leaving." the droid whirrs at her, almost as if he were making a sarcastic comment.

"Oh hush, you know we would have left eventually. Send a signal to C3PO and R2, we are going to need them if we want to succeed."

The pure rush of excitement has Rey fully packed and loaded onto the Falcon in what feels like seconds, and with the engines fully prepped, and a full tank of fuel, she takes off from the sandy planet.

\-------

"She's really doing it." Ben thought as he watched her through the portal. "She's going to bring me back." he says with a small grin forming at the corner of his lips.

Padmé places a hand on his shoulder. "You have such little faith Ben, were going to have to work on that. But in the meantime, while she gets situated. There is someone here who would like a word with you."

Ben turns his head to meet his grandmother's gaze. "Who?" he asks.

"Me..."

It was within an instant, that Ben recognized that voice. True, he had never heard it before in his life, but in this moment, he knew exactly who it was.

"Grandfather."


	4. Chapter Four

Rey's Point of View  
———

I could feel the intensity of my heart racing in my chest, I had the Falcon up and running in what felt like seconds. It took me a couple hours to prep it for takeoff, the calcinator had rot a bit, but that was an easy fix. Also the internal core drive had gotten a bit...dusty since this ship was flown last. It was hard taking the ship back from Lando. But he told me if anyone should have it, it should be the force daughter in law of Han Solo, which truly meant the world to me. I had always considered Ben's family my own, but after the revelation of our dyad connection, now they really feel like my family.

I may never have known my parents, but I have Ben's family, and they are more than enough.  
  


The journey to Jakku wasn't easy on me, with every moment that we drew closer, I could feel my skin grow colder, the anxiety of returning to the initial source of my pain was one that I did not want nor appreciate. I have to be strong, I have to be brave.   
As we make our final approach out of hyperspace, BB-8 beeps behind me.

"Don't worry BB-8, I don't want to come back here either, but there's something I need to get..."

We exit hyperspace, and upon instinct I hold my breath. It looks exactly the same. The same barren wasteland hasn't changed a bit in the years I have spent away. Perhaps that's a good sign.   
  


The ship lands with a thud onto the ragged surface, shaking the entire vessel, and making BB-8 loudly whirr at me.

"I'm sorry!" I say to my little round friend. "It's just nerves, I'm ready to be on and off of this planet as soon as possible. So therefore you get to stay with the ship, make sure nobody tries to steal it for the hundredth time." I could hear him making some sarcastic comment behind me, but I elected to ignore it.

The hatch door opens, and the beaming heat rushes towards me, making me instantly sweat upon impact. The fear of stepping back onto the surface causes me to freeze in place.

"Breathe Rey." I hear Ben say to me in my mind. "Just breathe, I'm right behind you."

His words instantly send a calming sensation through me, as I inhale as deeply as I can, and exhale as much as possible.

"You know, I could really use you here right now." I say as I take my first steps off of the ship.

"I'll be there soon, there's someone here I need to talk to first. It's kind of a big deal."

"Oh?" I say, my feet continuing to carry me. "Even more of a big deal than me being on my home planet?"

I can feel Ben's sudden attention to me through the force, even if I can't see him, I can still feel him and hear him in my mind. One of the benefits of the love of your life also being your equal half to a cosmic power.

"You're on Jakku?" He asks. "Why didn't you tell me? I can come to you now if you want me to."

"No Ben it's fine." I say as I reach the end of the ship's bay door. "I can do this... besides you have far more important things to do in the portal plane."

I hear him let out a sigh. "World Between Worlds... we went over this." He says, but I can hear the smile in his voice. Little did he know, our small conversation completely distracted me, and as I come to attention, I notice my feet now stand on the desert ground of Jakku.

"I'll see you soon sweetheart." Ben says gently, almost as if it were a whisper, and with that, I could feel his presence disappear. The nickname he has given me plucks at my heart strings, and causes a rippling sensation from my abdomen up towards that closed off area of my chest.

At least this time, I know he'll come back.

\----

I meet with Finn and Poe near an outpost station a few miles from town. However, their appearance is a bit altered. Finn with his signature rebellion jacket, his blue trousers that have the dashing red stripe down each side. But Poe of course being the fashionable one decided to wear something he probably purchased with his new galactic credits. The light purple knitted shirt hangs tightly on his body, as a black and blue scarf rests itself from around his neck, his dark black trousers help to balance it all with his shiny black boots blinding anyone who dares to look at them.

"Seriously?" I ask. "We're going on a mission, one with intense probabilities of peril and action, and you choose to wear that."

Poe looks between the three of us, his eyes meet Finn's first, as if he expected him to stick up for him, but all Finn does is raise his hands. "Hey, don't look at me, we all dressed for the occasion."

"Precisely..." I respond, to which the only response I get is Poe cursing under his breath.

"At least I changed my outfit unlike some people who like to wear the same garbage all the time.. Do you even wash that stuff?"

Finn and I look at each other, and all we can think to do is shrug our shoulders.

"Come on." I say. "I want to reach our destination before nightfall if were done bickering."

\-----

After a good few miles of walking, they find I have led them to my first home. The old AT-AT walker that I raised myself in. It still carries the same haunting shadows that I once had, while still managing to maintain the same stench of sadness and loneliness.

With my first step inside, I can feel the darkness shroud around me, the lingering remnants of who I used to be rest in each corner of the room. I walk towards the etched wall, and lightly run my fingers across the rows of tallies I made. I hated this place, it reminded me that I truly had nothing of my own, just things I took from others, all I had that was mine were the clothes on my back and the hair on my head. Everything else was either scavenged, traded, or earned through the two.

"So... this is where you're from?" Poe asks. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him cringing at the dust and debris that decorate the interior.

"Yes, this is where I lived while I was here. Over there is where I slept, and here is where I made my meals."

I notice Finn's face as he scanned the room, his expression varied from shock, to sadness, to pity. Which didn't anger me, I pity my former self too for living in these conditions. "So what are we back here for Rey? What do you need from this place?"

I sift through my old crates of parts and junk till I see it. Luckily, it's technological integrity is still intact. I blow the dust off of it, and turn to face the two. "This..." I say, as I hold up an old Republic comms device.

The two look at me as if I'm a lunatic. "You do realize we have comm links right? We didn't need to come here for..."

Interrupting Poe, I turn the comm device over, they notice a particular engraving on the back of it, and it causes their eyes to grow wide. "No way..." Poe says with a gasp. "You don't think?"

A smile creeps across my face. "I noticed this same design as I was going through old recordings and mission logs from the first rebellion during my training with Leia, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the Jedi before me, and during my search I came across this symbol. It was the symbol of a former Jedi turned ghost. She served Leia during the first rebellion against the Empire, but here's the interesting part..."

Poe and Finn stare at each other wide eyed. "I thought it was reported she died during the Battle of Endor?"

I snap my fingers. "Pay attention!" I groan. "After I first learned about this woman. I recalled a mission log recorded in the ancient texts about a mission to an unfamiliar planet that was an embodiment of the force."

I can feel the excitement rising in me, as I spit the words out of my mouth faster with each sentence. "The Jedi carrying this symbol was the apprentice to Anakin Skywalker, and who was it that first reported about Mortis during the Clone Wars AND in the ancient texts?"

The dots begin to connect in their head, and realization strikes their bones. "If we can find her." I say, "she can help guide us through Mortis."

"But." Poe says. "We have a map?"

"What good is a map if we don't know the terrain? Luke's Jedi texts describe Mortis as a planet spinning without a cause, that it's the most dangerous system in the far outer rim. Wouldn't it be wise to find someone who can help us get to where we need to go?"

The two men look at each other, as if they were communicating with their minds, and after a moment they turn to look at me.

"We're in..." they say in unison. "But we'll have to grab Chewie and Rose, we need all hands on deck for this one." Finn says.

Poe places his hand on Finn's shoulder, smiling at him. "Not to mention the droids, now that 3PO can read ancient texts, we may need him." Poe turns to face me. "I think we're all in agreement here."

"Perfect..." I say grinning. "Now let's go find Fulcrum."


	5. Chapter Five

Ben Solo's Point of View

It was within an instant, that I recognized that voice. True, I had never heard it before in my life, but in this moment, I knew exactly who it was.

"Grandfather."

Anakin Skywalker, The Chosen One, the ruler over the Skywalker bloodline, stood before me, his only grandson, the Prophesied Dyad, and the end of the Skywalker bloodline. We stare intensely into another's eyes, guilt and pain causing both of us to secure ourselves into the ground beneath us. I fear that if I move first, I will receive the harshest blow imaginable. 'What have you done?' I imagine him saying to me, 'I'm so disappointed in you.'

But instead, he says something that will forever have a prominent place in my memory.

"Ben, My only grandson. Forgive me."

My demeanor softens, I allow my muscles to release their tension, and I let out the breath that I had been holding since I saw his face. My whole life has been lead by a voice in the night I always assumed to be his, pushing me through the pain, the anger, the hate. The delusion of a child in a mask took me down a path most vile, most harmful. I lead regimes in his name, conquered planets through his legacy. Yet I learned the truth too late, and was redeemed at the edge of the precipice that was my life.

"Grandfather." I whisper into the air. The tears brimming his eyes cause a tidal wave of emotions to crash within me, as he slowly takes another step towards me.

"I failed in not destroying Palpatine the first time, had I trusted in my love for Padme, none of this would have happened to any of us, to you. I failed you in letting myself succumb to power, and cursed you with the same fate as me." he reaches his destination, and is less than an arms length away from me. "Ben... my boy... say something."

I find my lungs have failed me, as I catch the breath I had been holding the entire time, and all I can think to do, my only response was to let the tears stream down my face. "Grandfather, I'm so happy to finally see you."

I crash into his arms, and hold him as tight as I possibly can, as my body shakes with the sobs of relief. I am finally with the one person in my family who I felt would understand me, what I did, why I did it, and unlike everyone else... he didn't reject me.

"I tried to reach you through the force, but Palpatine's power was too strong. I wanted you to know I was there, but I failed you Ben. I failed you." Anakin says, placing his hands on my shoulders and pushing me back so I had to face him.

"No, I failed you. I failed our family. I fell to the dark side, I allowed myself to be turned." I responded.

"Ben, you had little to no control. We were both manipulated and controlled by the dark side before our own conception. There are some powers in this world even a Skywalker cannot win against. But in the end, it was your love for the girl, for Rey, that set us all free of the curse. It was your belief in your love for her that brought balance to the force, and did what I could not." he takes my face in his hands. "I am proud of you..."

I allow myself to smile, this... feeling. This surge of energy is warm, calming. It's a feeling I haven't felt in years. I am happy, I am content. "Thank you Grandfather.. And I forgive you, I hope you can forgive me too."

With a wave of his hand, he lets out a soft chuckle. "Done and forgiven." But within a second, that intense determination I recognized in myself peers across his face. "Now, there is something we need to discuss. I hate to cut this happy reunion short, but you shouldn't be here."

Padme steps towards us both and finds her place at my grandfather's side. "He knows Ani, I already told him." her fingers intertwined with his, as she tilts her head up to meet his eyes. "He knows what he has to do."

Anakin smiles down at her, and places a soft kiss on her forehead. "My angel, when will you ever cease to amaze me." his attention turns to me. "Ben, this journey you are about to embark on, it isn't going to be easy. The Son has taken control over the whole region of the portals leading to Mortis."

"The Son?" I ask

Anakin leads us down a pathway towards a portal lined with what look like wolves, and as we approach, they began to run around in a circle within the portal. The blackness of the entryway slowly fades into an image of three beings. One of them a woman, clothed in light, with the force flowing through her green hair, an owl perched on her shoulder. Another was a tall man, his age made apparent in the lines in his face and the wrinkles in his eyes which remained closed, his robes were grey, and only accented by the snowy white of his beard. On his right, there was a man with two red stripes on his head, and red lined coming from under his eyes, he was clothed in darkness, and a black cloud swirled at his feet.

"These are The Ones. They are the embodiment's of the light and dark side of the force, with the Father being the one in standing in between. For the longest time, it was they who kept the force in balance until I came along. It was in an encounter with them. Myself. Master Kenobi, and my Padawan Ahsoka that the balance was broken."

"What happened to them?" I ask.

"With the death of The Daughter, it broke the balance of the force, and led The Father to kill not only himself but The Son as well. However, it's not easy to fully get rid of beings like that. Beings who literally are the force."

He walks us down another pathway, towards a portal lined with a strange looking bird, similar to the style of the wolves, but these ones flew in a circle around the portal.

"Those are the same Owl's that the Daughter had on her shoulder right?" I ask.

He nods, and reaches out his hand towards the portal, and it reveals a scene of him as Darth Vader, and a Togruta woman engaged in combat.

"This is my former Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. During our time on Mortis, she was killed by The Son, only for The Daughter to breathe her remaining bit of life force into her spirit, making her the reincarnation of The Daughter." I notice his smile turn into a frown, and he turns his face away from a memory that I can only assume to be a painful one.

"I am The Father, I am The Chosen One, who brought balance to the force, who held control over the light and the darkness. But what I never realized that The Son had also found life in someone we knew."

I feel my hands turn into fists, as the gears in my head begin to turn. "Palpatine, he had the power of The Son... that's how he survived for so long."

"Powerful light rises, and powerful darkness to meet it. You and Rey forming the Dyad set you both up to be the equivalent of that balance Ben don't you see?"

He places his hands on my shoulders and turns me to face him. "We are entities of the force, handpicked from the beginning of time to fill roles we never even dreamed of. It's up to you and Rey to fulfill our destiny. It's not about confronting fear, it's about becoming who you were always meant to be. It's about becoming yourself."

With a nod of my head, he smiles down at me. "Good, now get some rest. Our journey to Mortis begins tomorrow."


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains content that is NSFW. Reader discretion is advised.

Third Person P.O.V

WARNING: Contains content that is NSFW, reader discretion is advised.

From the moment Rey laid her eyes on Ben Solo, she knew in her heart that they were destined to be together. Both in battle, and in life, and when that possibility of a life well lived was ripped from her grasp, that pain created a wound that she imagined would never be healed. It wasn't until she saw him on Tatooine that the wound started to patch itself up.

Rey is in the pilots seat on the Falcon, staring at the endless sea of space as they fly through hyperspace. Poe and Finn sleeping soundly in the back of the ship while Rey is on her rotation of piloting. The colors of hyperspace always seemed to amaze her, deep blue colors were a rarity on Jakku, blue was a color that Rey found she could never grow tired of. Perhaps that's why she loved being on Ach-To so much, the blue ocean waters, the heavy rain, it soothed her soul in a way that was unfamiliar to her. The only other time she felt at peace was when she was in Ben's presence.

As if on cue, she felt their connection shower over her body, and her eyes meet his. Ben's sitting next to her in the copilots chair, his breaths heavy, beads of sweat upon his brow. The white shirt he had on was clinging to his body, and she could see right through it's fabric. The sight of his chest, even through a sheet of material, caused her body to grow hot, her palms to sweat.

"Ben..." she says just above a whisper, a soft smile forming on her lips.

On instinct, he smiles at the sound of his name leaving her lips. The familiar feeling of the seats trigger memories to flood into his head, and surprisingly, they bring a smile, his eyes glance down at his appearance, the sight of his sweat covered body causes his cheeks to turn red.

"Rey, I'm sorry I look like this. Reaching you across space time can take a bit of a toll."

Her fingers interlock with his, and she gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm just glad you're here.. There's so much we need to talk about."

"Yes... I agree. But first..." Ben flips a switch, turning the Falcon on autopilot, he rises to his feet, offering Rey his hand, "...there's something I want to do."

Thoughts race across her mind, it should be noted, that this was the last thing Rey thought she should be doing right now. In her mind, she needed to focus on the mission, keep the Falcon steady, come up with a good speech to give to Fulcrum when she sees her.

But alas, Rey found herself taking his hand, and rising to her feet.

He leads her around the cockpit, and as soon as she's in the clear, he quickly pulls her into his arms, one hand wrapped around her waist, the other holding the side of her face. With a heavy breath, he releases a plea. "Rey... would it be alright if I kissed you now?"

The heaviness in Rey's lungs from holding her breath released. The lust in her eyes found their way from his eyes, to his lips, to the sweat dripping down his chest. Rey had always had a hunger for things, adventure, family, love. But in this moment, Rey had a hunger for one thing and one thing only. "Yes..." she responds in a whisper.

Ben lightly smiles, and slowly, ever-so-gently, closes the never ending gap between the two of them. The softness of Rey's wet lips brush into his, the intensity of their physical content causes objects in the room to begin to levitate. Rey searched his body for something to latch onto, to further her grip on him, fearing that if she let go, she would lose the feeling of his hands on her forever. The small, soft kisses turn into ferocious, hungry acts of passion. They began to devour each other,savouring every taste, every touch of tongue to tongue, lips to lips. The two of them had always had a craving for a moment just like this, and now their desires are being fulfilled. Ben's large hands grip gently onto her skin, with one hand, he's holding her face, keeping her close to him, he wraps his arm around her back and lifts her into the air. The smallness of her body fits perfectly in his large embrace, and as she's lifted into the air, her legs find their way and wrap around his large torso.

Rey was familiar to excitement, the rush of a battle, the thrill of a high speed chase, but this? This sensation was something familiar yet foreign, but she welcomed it gladly nonetheless.

"Ben... be with me tonight. If only for a moment, just be with me." her lips start down a path from his cheeks, to the line of his jaw, across the right side of his neck, and up right by his large ears. Her voice rings in his ear like a sweet melody.

"For you starlight? I would do anything.."

As if she weighed less than a feather, he carries her swiftly to the captain's chambers. The whole journey towards their final destination spent showering each other in dripping wet kisses. The hunger and desperation of intimacy making them both drool for each other like a wolf stalking its prey, salivating at the sight of a juicy, delicious meal.

With a wave of a hand, the door to the compartment opens, and Ben stomps towards the bed, all the while maintaining contact with Rey's lips with his own. Gently, he rests her body lightly onto the mattress. For a moment, he breaks the kiss to catch his breath, and uses the spare moment to really look at her eyes... the eyes of a woman who he worshiped and adored. The constellation of freckles on her face imprint in his memory, the soft dimples on her cheeks mark themselves as a critical part of her features.

It should be noted that Ben had never really done anything like this before. Sure, he had had a crush or two growing up, but everyone at the Jedi Temple feared Ben more than they cared to admit, and that fear kept a lot of feelings buried. But with Rey things were different, with her things that were once an ultimate fantasy somehow become a reality, like this moment, with her looking up at him with lust laced in her eyes. Ben wanted her, in every way, shape, and form. But Ben lacked in practice with these sort of things, and the last thing that he wanted to do was disappoint her.

"I... I don't know how much longer the connection will hold. Is this what you want? We can stop, I'll do anything you ask, anything you want." Ben says as he slowly falls to his knees before her, giving himself up to her.

Rey sits up and looks down at him, her small hands hold the sides of his face. "All I want Ben, is for you to be with me..." she places a soft kiss on his forehead, and her gesture causes Ben to close his eyes. Her touch became a spice that Ben was now addicted to.

Rey's hands grip onto his shirt, and she pulls him towards her, the distance between them closing with the touch of their chests against one another. Their slow ballroom dance now turning into a tango fueled with longing and fire. Clothes were ripped and tossed aside like rags as the hormones began to rise in the two of them. The intense power of their physicality causes all of the loose items in the room begin to levitate, the sheer power of the force surging throughout the room as their excitement grows.

Ben's hands discover and get to know her body, and Rey's lips and tongue taste the flavours of Ben's. It isn't until they both have their desires fulfilled that they both gasp in pleasure, and finally bridge the gap between them. Their connection now made physical in the sheets of the Falcon.

\------

Rey awake's in the arms of a bare Ben Solo, their unclothes bodies tangled and wrapped up in each other. The blissful moment is cut short at the sound of banging on the chamber door.

"Rey?! Are you in there? The ship's out of fuel were dead in the water out here! I thought you were manning the cockpit?" Poe's growel of a voice echoes outside the door, and Ben shoots upright in bed. Rey places a finger over his lips, silencing him.

"I grew ill and needed to rest! I'm coming now!" Rey says as she quickly goes to dress herself, only to find her white robes torn to shreds on the ground beneath her.

"Funny..." Ben whispers to her. "You said the same thing last night."

Rey stifles a laugh, and gently slaps him on the arm. "Shouldn't you have left by now?"

"I'll see you soon starlight." and with that, Ben is gone, and the sheets that were covering him sink into the bed.

Rey wraps herself in the sheets, as she stands and walks towards the closet. Luckily, it still had some outfits from Han's smuggler day's. Sure, a lot of these were disguises, but Rey could find something useful in the array of choices before her.

She steps out in black trousers, the material was breathable and light, a grey long sleeved knit shirt tucked into her pants, and a brown belt keeping everything in place. The luminous brown curls of her hair all hang loose around her face, her buns unfortunately were removed during the previous evenings events. A pair of black lace up boots were hidden in the corner, they were a bit too big for her feet, so she stuffed some of her ripped rags into the toes of the boots, and with that they fit like a glove. She looks around the mess of a room and sighs, making a note to clean up her mess after she fixes her first one.

She opens the door and rushes to the cockpit.

"About time you woke up." Finn remarks. "We're stuck in the middle of nowhere."

Rey glances at the scanners, and begins a search for the nearest habitable planet.

"Dagobah... it's less than a click away. Finn, try sending out a distress signal with the remaining power in BB-8's power server."

"So what made you leave the cockpit last night really... because judging on the state of your room, it wasn't sickness." Poe snaps. "We're stuck out here, probably in the outer rim with NO resources!"

"What I do behind closed doors is absolutely NONE of your DAMN business Poe. Go try and revert power to the exhaust ports while I rewire the compressors again. We won't be stuck out here for long."

\-------

Ben wakes with a chill, his bare skin growing cold with the feeling of deep space air against his skin.

"We are luminous beings here Ben.. but please do put some clothes on." Padme says, her back turned to him.

Ben quickly shoots upward, and uses the force to summon robes for himself, deep grey robes find their way into his lap. These robes were not those of a Jedi, nor those of a Sith, they were something more, and something that fit Ben just right.

Anakin makes his way over to him and extends a hand. "Come, we need to get moving."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Finn, and Poe land on the swampy planet of Dagobah to look for some answers on Fulcrum. But Rey gets a little bit more than she bargained for.

The Falcon lands with an exasperated huff onto the mossy surface of Dagobah, and the intense pull of the Force sends Finn and Rey’s skin into a bitter cold chill. 

“Do you sense that?” Finn asks, he presses a button on the center console and the hatch opens. “I do.” Rey responds. “Something has happened here. Something that the force did not approve of. I feel something calling to me.”

“Like that cave on Ach-Too? Or is this like one of your connections with Kylo Ren?” Poe asks, following the two down the ramp. 

“Ben, and no, this is something else. Scan the area for any signs of life, I’m going to see what the force wants.” 

The sound of her boots trodding through the thick mud are but one of a few sounds echoing in the swamp that is Dagobah. But there was a tugging on her sleeve almost, a hand on her back pushing her onward until she reached a small hut. ‘Probably one of the native creatures.’ She thought to herself.

Yet something pushes her away from it’s door, and throws her towards a cave not too far away. “Alright!” she says aloud. “I’m going in! Ben if that’s you doing this you better have a good reason for lifting me off the ground and sending me flying.” 

Rey however, was wrong, the force was at work here. 

The hanging vines open themselves to her, and wrap around her wrists, pulling her in, she calls out for Finn and Poe, but is pulled into the abyss before a single sound could escape her throat.   
She finds herself standing in front of the same mirror-esque wall she saw in the cave on Ach-To. However in her reflection, she saw herself on Jakku, with her three buns atop her head, her scavengers clothes. The young woman in front of her reaches out, tears streaming down her eyes like the waterfalls of Naboo.   
“Please, save me from this place. I beg of you.” the past asks Rey. 

“Save you from what?” Rey asks, and the reflection grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her into the vision. 

Rey quickly jumps to her feet, igniting her golden bladed lightsaber. “This is some trick. Are you my clone?” 

The past Rey sweeps her feet out from underneath of her, causing her to fall onto her back, her eyes open to reveal three versions of herself staring down at her. 

Rey from Jakku 

Rey, the supposed Last Jedi in training on Ach-To 

And Rey, the revealed dyad, blood, dirt, and sweat upon her brow. 

“What is going on?! Where are we?” she asks the beings in front of her. 

“We are your past Rey.” They respond in perfect unison. “We are what you once were, your mistakes, the choices you have made, the responsibilities long forgotten.” The dyad Rey says. 

“We are your guilt, your anger, your pain, we are what you continue to carry on.” The scavenger from Jakku stands next to Rey, a hand gently resting on her arm. 

“We are your source of strength, your courage, we are what you have and will grow beyond.” The last Jedi stands by Rey’s side, eyes fierce and determined. 

“You are our present, you are the combination of the three of us,” the Dyad says, “ and we are here to show you what you will become.” 

Rey, now surrounded by visions of her past, holds her ignited saber out, pointing at the Dyad. “You are nothing but visions sent to distract me, like the one on the Death Star ruins.”

“Oh? Are you referring to me?” A cold voice rings from behind her, she turns around and is faced with Dark Rey, her double bladed saber ignited at her side. 

“Hello old friend. It’s been some time.” 

Rey quickly stands to her feet, ushering her past selves behind her. “You’re just a vision.” 

Dark Rey laughs, her voice sounding as if she’s haunted. “I’m much more than that. I am your very soul. What you were destined to be. Darth Rey. The embodiment of what your grandfather never could be, and what that love sick puppy dog could never achieve. I am every stone that’s tripped you, every wound on your body. I’m your destruction, your chaos, your downfall.” 

Rey lunges at her, she didn’t need her lightsaber for what she was about to do. Her hands grip at the demon before her as she pulls them both to the ground, her hands in a fist, she punches her straight in the nose, rapidly, as much as she can until she’s breathless. Looking down at the bloody image below her. “YOU'RE THE REASON I COULDN'T SAVE BEN. IT WAS YOU!” 

The dark creature spits in Rey’s face, blood scattering against her cheeks. “I was barely a part of that. Have you ever wondered why you can feed life into others? HUH? HAVE YOU?” She evaporates into thin air only to reappear right behind her, pushing her into a vision. 

A woman, lays on a table, breathless, panting, clothed in white. A man with robes stands next to her. “Who is she? Why are you showing me this?” Rey asks. 

“Shut up and watch.” She grips Rey’s shoulders and faces her towards the right. An image of a man, beaten and burnt lays on a table similar to the woman, only mechanical arms are seen surrounding him, operating. 

“Two lives, connected by a red string of fate. One, inches from creating life, the other inches from his own destruction. Now look closely.” 

From the shadows, her grandfather emerges. The red string is tied between the woman and the man. “What is he doing?” Rey asks. Only to have her question answered. 

After the woman delivers her child, Palpatine cuts the thread, and her body falls into death's arms. The man on the table however begins to glow a bright red flame, as the woman’s last breath feeds his light, restoring him. 

“Your grandfather took the life of a mother to give to his disciple, Darth Vader. The transfer of life from one being to another, only he and his lineage have that power. Do you really think he would let a Skywalker give life to his offspring without consequence? 

The vision fades into Ben holding Rey on Exogol, her lifeless body in his arms. Palpatine standing behind him with an evil grin on his face. “Your grandfather made sure a Skywalker would never triumph over him again. As he tried to give a bit of his life force into you, Palpatine made sure it was everything he had.”

Tears begin to fall from Rey’s eyes, as the realization strikes her. “He won, in the end, he did what he always set out to do. Destroy the Skywalker bloodline, and leave himself the victor.” 

“Nothing is that black and white Rey, you of all people should know.” Dark Rey gently grabs Rey’s hand, and looks into her eyes. 

“Don’t let him win, I beg of you. If you truly are nothing like your Grandfather, nothing like me, undo his final act of evil and save him. It’s the only way to avoid becoming what you were not meant to be.” 

With that, the vision fades, and Rey stands in the swamps of Dagobah, her face ghostly white, hands shaking. 

“Rey! Where are you?!” Finn calls. “Rey! This place is creeping me out! Let’s go! We found something!”


End file.
